Athens, GA (Nov 25, 2007) - Does a sponsorship deal between Canon and the National Football league violate journalistic ethics? Michael Tiemann and Stephen Shankland of CNet News.com thinks it does, and they are getting widespread support for their position. Here is an excerpt from their article:

In theory, any random Joe should be free to endorse any random product and, if they are lucky, be paid a fair price to do so. But when a person of a specific profession makes a specific recommendation related to that profession, it should be completely clear what compensation, if any, is being paid. And such compensation should be fairly negotiated between the two parties. Would you want to know if your doctor was being paid to push a drug on you (or that the drug's regulator has a financial interest in the companies they regulate)? Would you want to know if your financial planner was paid by companies whose stocks he's recommending (or that they don't even know what they are selling)?

How far will these sweetheart deals continue to erode faith in journalists and the sports they cover? Is this any different from Jim Nantz hawking Sony products during sports broadcasts?